Chicken exports in March 2013 increased 6.4 percent in quantity and gained 4.3 percent in value over year earlier. Exports totaled 329,381 metric tons valued at $417.41 million this March compared with 309,560 tons valued at $400.36 million in March 2012. Chicken parts were up 5.3 percent in quantity and up 2.4 percent in value, while prepared chicken and sausages registered gains of 11.6 percent and 7.6 percent in quantity and value, respectively. Whole chickens increased significantly with quantity up 75.8 percent from a year earlier and value increasing 107.4 percent from March 2012.
Chicken exports for March 2012 and March 2013 were as follows:
| U.S. Chicken Exports during the Month of March | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 2012 | 2013 | Change | 2012 | 2013 | Change | |
| – metric tons – | – percent – | – million dollars – | – percent – | |||
| Chicken parts | 297,503 | 313,143 | 5.3 | 368.62 | 377.53 | 2.4 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 7,721 | 8,617 | 11.6 | 26.00 | 27.98 | 7.6 |
| Whole chickens | 4,336 | 7,621 | 75.8 | 5.74 | 11.90 | 107.4 |
| Total | 309,560 | 329,381 | 6.4 | 400.36 | 417.41 | 4.3 |
Chicken exports during the first quarter of this year were off 1.1 percent in quantity but rose 0.3 percent in value. For January-March 2013 chicken exports totaled 891,054 tons valued at $1,140.94 million. Within the overall chicken category, parts during January-March 2013 were 850,287 tons valued at $1,036.94 million compared with 867,022 tons valued at $1,048.13 million, a 1.9 percent decline in quantity and 1.1 percent less in value. However, the other two sub-categories reported positive results. Prepared chicken and sausages were 23,574 tons valued at $76.96 million, 5.8 percent more than the 22,277 tons during January-March 2012 and 5.3 percent above $73.07 million year earlier. Whole chicken exports experienced good growth with 17,193 tons valued at $27.04 million so far this year compared with 12,047 tons valued at $16.86 million last year during the first three months, increases of 42.7 percent and 60.4 percent for quantity and value, respectively.
Chicken exports during January-March 2012 and January-March 2013 were as follows:
| U.S. Chicken Exports for the Period of January-March | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 2012 | 2013 | Change | 2012 | 2013 | Change | |
| – metric tons – | – percent – | – million dollars – | – percent – | |||
| Chicken parts | 867,022 | 850,287 | -1.9 | 1,048.13 | 1,036.94 | -1.1 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 22,277 | 23,574 | 5.8 | 73.07 | 76.96 | 5.3 |
| Whole chickens | 12,047 | 17,193 | 42.7 | 16.86 | 27.04 | 60.4 |
| Total | 901,346 | 891,054 | -1.1 | 1,138.06 | 1,140.94 | 0.3 |
Chicken parts exports to the top four markets (Mexico, China, Russia, and Angola) in March 2013 registered increases in both quantity and value. Mexico was the top destination with a 17.6percent increase in quantity and a 16.1percent increase in value. Next top market, China, had impressive triple-digit gains in both quantity and value, with a 199.6 percent increase in quantity and a 168.7 percent increase in value. Parts exports to Russia, the third largest market in March, were up 42.4 percent in quantity and up 35.4 percent in value. Angola saw a 74.3 percent increase in quantity and a 64.6 percent increase in value when first quarter 2013 parts exports are compared with the same quarter in 2012.
Next week’s issue of the Washington Report will present the data for the top 15 chicken parts markets.
